Back Check (Aces Hockey #4)(83)

 

Tanner sucked air into his lungs and met Katelyn's eyes. "That's good. Right?"

 

"You're not being traded. I think they're done trading, with that deal for Land. Now they're ready to talk numbers."

 

"Great."

 

"Let's hope. I'll keep you posted."

 

"Thanks." He ended the call. "Well, looks like I'm not being traded. And Kevin's meeting with Ian tomorrow."

 

"That's good!"

 

"Yeah. Any progress is good. Let's just hope they're willing to make some kind of offer and that it's decent."

 

"You trust Kevin to get the best deal for you."

 

"I do."

 

"Then let him do his job."

 

Tanner nodded. "Thank you, Katie."

 

"For what?"

 

"For being here. For being my voice of reason. My home."

 

She beamed up at him, her eyes full of love. "We're here for each other. Right?"  

 

"Right." He only hoped he could live up to her, to be as strong and solid as she was. He would spend the rest of his life trying to be the man she deserved.

 

 

 

 

 

Epilogue

 

 

"Fornication."

 

Hesitant laughter tittered through the hotel ballroom as Duncan Armstrong started his speech. Katelyn, standing at the back of the ballroom, set her fingers over her own smile.

 

"Ahem. Excuse me." Duncan picked up a glass of water and drank. "Sorry, I'm a bit nervous." He bent his head to his notes and started again. "For an occasion like this … " He paused as louder laughter filled the room, and he grinned. A few people clapped and he nodded. "For an occasion like this, it's a tradition to roast the groom on his special day. But I don't want to do that to my friend Marc, so I've left out all the embarrassing and negative things I could say about him and will only talk about his good points. Thank you and good night."

 

He moved to sit down and more laughter erupted.

 

Duncan moved back to the microphone. "Kidding. I'm kidding. I have a lot of great things to say about Marc tonight." He paused. "In everyone's life, there comes that moment when you meet the love of your life. Your one true love. The person who'll be there for you no matter what. Your soul mate." He paused, and Katelyn's gaze shifted along the table to where Tanner sat, looking gorgeous in his black tux. Her soul mate. "That moment came for Marc eight years ago when he met me."

 

More laughter. She grinned. Duncan had been so nervous, but he was killing it with his best man speech, which she happened to know Tanner had helped him write.

 

"For those who don't know me, I'm Duncan Armstrong and I'm the best man here tonight. I mean, I'm Marc's best man." He smiled. "Another tradition is that at a wedding, nobody should look more handsome than the groom. There was nothing much I could do, other than maybe wear a bag on my head, but I'd like to thank the other groomsmen for doing such a great job." He paused for more laughter, looking a little more relaxed.

 

Katelyn's gaze shifted back to Tanner and he met her eyes across the ballroom. She smiled.

 

"I have to say, I never thought I'd be standing up here, my best friend married to my little sister. In all honesty, when Lovey and Marc first got together, I was worried. I actually thought Lovey wasn't good enough for Marc. But Lovey … you're a beautiful and amazing woman who deserves a wonderful husband. And I won't rest until I get to the bottom of what's gone wrong here."

 

Lovey laughed, looking so beautiful and happy it made Katelyn's heart squeeze.

 

Duncan's speech went on, moving from jokes and funny stories to a more serious tone. "Seriously, Marc is a great man-a skilled hockey player. A leader. A loyal team member who's responsible and dedicated to his sport and his team. And I know that he'll show that exact same dedication and loyalty to my sister, his bride. I'm happy to not only call him my captain … and my friend … but also now my brother-in-law."

 

Katelyn clasped her hands in front of her and smiled.

 

She'd made it through the most challenging parts of the day. Things had mostly gone off without incident. Of course, there had to be pranks. Hockey players loved their pranks.

 

The groomsmen had somehow gotten hold of a tux identical to Marc's, only two sizes smaller; they'd switched it with his in the suite at the Peninsula where the men were getting ready for the wedding. Marc had freaked out when he tried to get dressed and nothing fit. Meanwhile they were all cracking up.

 

But Marc had a prank of his own up his sleeve. He'd stolen all the men's black socks and replaced them with brightly colored ones in stripes, polka dots, and argyle patterns. And they'd all worn them. The photographer had gotten a great shot of them with their pants legs pulled up to show off the crazy socks.